Thailand Feb 25 -March 7, 2023
Some Observations about Thailand
1. Roads and Driving. I drove 3200 km over 6 days in a Toyota Yaris seeing all south Thailand. Thailand may have the best road system in the world. Most are 4-lane divided – and where they aren’t, they are building it. Both sides are separated by elaborate medians. There are few overpasses or cloverleaves, so one must use a lot of U-turns. The speed limit is 90 on most and 120 on the big expressways. There are few radar traps – they are on gantries overhead. I think I only got one ticket. Driving in on the left, but I’ve now had a lot of experience doing that so have no problems.
The most irritating thing is the traffic lights. There is a universal standard and all work the same – each of the four sides in any intersection moves on its own and the cycles can be very long, often 2 minutes. A lot of time is spent with no traffic moving. I always tried to go on the right or the left to the front of the line and get off first, just like the motorcycles do.
There are a lot of trucks and motorcycles (that usually take up the left lane), which makes passing hard and often closes that lane so can get irritating. It is one more thing to watch out for. I almost hit a kid when I was turning right.
2. People. English is very poor, worse than in China so communicating and getting to know people is difficult. Download Thai on Google Translate and use it often. They are not very intuitive and don’t figure things out. They are very polite and bow with prayer hands. But I didn’t find them all that friendly – maybe they are tired of tourists. I don’t think Buddhism gives someone any particularly good qualities.
There are a lot of unattractive old white guys with Thai women. Maybe it is because they are so accommodating, seem to always say yes, let your enter doors first etc. Money must be given to the family and a large sum deposited in a bank account that is held for at least 6 months so that women are not used inappropriately.
3. Buddhism. Thailand must have more temples and religious monuments than any other Buddhist country – they are everywhere and completely over-the-top with ornate window/door frames, roof lines with complicated gables, and a tremendous number of Buddha images, many covered in gold leaf. l wonder who pays for all this as it must be expensive to construct? There are also some of the largest Buddhas in the world. Most temples are part of large complexes of many temples, I don’t understand why they need so many. I don’t think that ‘Buddha would have approved.
Like Christian churches (especially Roman Catholic), I have never seen a bathroom in a temple. Good bladder control must be part of the devotion.
Buddhist countries also don’t necessarily behave very morally – Myanmar and the Rohinga or Sri Lanka and the long civil war with the Tamil north.
I have been told that the hardest thing about being a monk is getting along with the other monks.
4. Museums. There must be some national agency that coordinates museums as they are extremely well curated, in great buildings and very well done. They tend to cost about $3 each.
5. The King. It is prohibited to criticize the King of Thailand and can result in jail. The previous king was loved by all but his son is not well liked. His picture with a very pretty woman (his first wife?) is everywhere on big posters and in overhead arches. Sometimes he is younger and in military dress, dressed in heavy gilt robes or sometimes wearing a goofy looking “cowboy” hat. Here is a short biography.
Vajiralongkorn (born 28 July 1952) is the King of Thailand, the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. After his father’s death on 13 October 2016, he was expected to ascend to the throne of Thailand and his coronation took place in 2019. He is also styled as Rama X. He is the wealthiest monarch in the world, with a net worth estimated to be between US$30 billion and US$70 billion.
1976 – liberal arts degree. 1982 – bachelor’s degree in law, Military pilot qualified to fly the Northrop F-5, F-16, and the Boeing 737-400.
Most of the time, Vajiralongkorn lives in Bavaria in Germany, His image is affected by his reputation as a philanderer. For most of 2020, he rented the Alpine Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl in Garmisch-Partenkirchen for himself and his entourage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anti-monarchy sentiments in Thailand.
Vajiralongkorn is protected by one of the most strictly enforced lèse majesté laws in the world. For many years, criticism has been strictly prohibited. Violations carry large fines and prison sentences of up to 35 years.
The Economist said that Vajiralongkorn was “widely loathed and feared” and “unpredictable to the point of eccentricity”, and “regarded as erratic and virtually incapable of ruling”. Gambling habit partly funded by exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Half-sleeve tattoo.
In 1977, Vajiralongkorn married his first cousin and they had one daughter. He started living with actress Yuvadhida Polpraserth in the late 1970s and had five children with her. Divorce 1993, cordial terms and continue to play a significant role in royal ceremonies. He remarried in 1994, In 1996 decamped to Britain with all her children, abducted the daughter and brought her back to Thailand. Sujarinee and her sons were stripped of their diplomatic passports and royal titles and moved to the United States, Married for a third time in 2001, to Srirasmi Suwadee, a son, 2014, divorced. 2019, married Suthida Tidjai.
Day 7 Wed Mar 1
I left my hostel at 8:20 and drove 14 km to the Eurocar rental in the Sofitel Hotel – Toyota for four days with full insurance 5000 B ($150) and drove to Pattaya. The roads in Thailand are exceptionally good, all multilane divided highway. I almost immediately got a ticket for 500B for driving on an expressway and was taken to a police station on the back of his motorcycle.
THAILAND – EAST SOUTHERN (Trat, Chonburi, Prachinburi, Pattaya)
Wang Saen Suk Hell Garden, Chonburi is a Buddhist temple meant to describe and depict Naraka (Buddhist hell). At the entrance of the monastery garden, a brightly colored sign reads “Welcome To Hell”[3] Further inside the garden, another sign reads: If you meet the Devil in this life, don’t postpone merit-making which will help you to defeat him in the next life.
At the start of the garden trial sits a giant “fat Buddha” statue. Numerous cement-and-plaster statues depicting life in a Buddhist hell can be found throughout the garden. After a series of relatively peaceful, spiritual scenes, the visitor turns a corner to see a diorama depicting Buddhist hell. Two large figures named ‘Nai Ngean’ and ‘Nang Thong’ stand high above the tortured souls of the garden; their emaciated appearance, long necks and distended bellies seem to mark them as Preta, the ‘hungry ghosts’ of Thai folklore.
Around the feet of these figures are arranged 21 tortured souls, each with the head of a different animal. These animalistic characterizations reflect the nature of each soul’s sin; plaques at the feet of each feature inscriptions such as: “Ones who make a corruption are punished in the hell, they are named as the spirits of the pigs.” and “Ones who sell the habit-performing drugs are punished in the hell, they are named as the spirits of the cows.” Other designations include the ungrateful becoming tigers, jealous people being named rabbits and bird heads given to those who steal cooked rice.
After this first area comes illustrations of the specific punishments for a list of very particular crimes. These include depictions of human sinners being ripped apart by the dogs of Hell, burnt alive in boiling cauldrons, disembowelled by birds, and having their heads replaced with those of animals.
Donation boxes located next to each scene encourage penance through charity. They also detail the sins likely to incur the depicted torture; these range from a woman being crushed in a vice for having an abortion and a man having his head savagely knocked off for undermining Buddhism. Free
Sukhawadee is a European-style mansion that houses a statue of Kuan Yin and other sculptures that express the philosophy of living. Owned by Mr. Panya Chotitawan, the owner of Saha Farm, one of the biggest agricultural product exporters in Thailand. In 2000 during a huge economic crisis, Mr. Panya decided to build this luxurious castle with over a hundred people working together in unity. It consists of a group of pink and blue contemporary buildings with interior decoration and the gardens all beautifully designed and also convey hidden abstract values. The Guan Yin (the Goddess of Mercy) Building has a precious gemstone decorated image of Guan Yin (the Goddess of Mercy). Buddha Tower has Buddha images including the 9.28 metres tall image of the Lord Buddha at birth. Buddhabaramee Building is a luxuriously decorated convention hall with a mural and the biggest carpet in the Asia Pacific. 400 B
Sanctuary of Truth is a hybrid of a temple and a castle that is themed on the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Buddhist and Hindu beliefs. The building is entirely wood – wood-carved idols and sculptures. The building has been under construction since 1981, and may not be finally completed until 2025.
A four-faced Hindu creator god Brahma statue on its rooftop. The Northern hall features Buddhist Guanyin and other sculptures featuring the wisdom of emancipation. The Southern Hall features astronomical themes, namely the sun, moon, and other planets impacting people’s well-being. The Western hall features representations of the classical elements (earth, water, wind, and fire) and sculptures of the Hindu Trinity: Lord Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, the gods who conquer the four elements. The Eastern Hall features familial representations. The main focus is to visually portray important Eastern religious concepts and the cycle of life.
Every surface of the structure is decorated with ornamentation from Thai, Hindu, Buddhist, Chinese, and Khmer traditions. The wooden sanctuary is over 100 meters tall and makes for an impressive sight.
ATV rides, cruises on traditional Thai gondolas, and controversial elephant rides. 400 B
PATTAYA (pop 1 million). On the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand about 100 kilometres (62 mi) southeast of Bangkok, Pattaya was a fishing village until the 1960s. Tourism began during the Vietnam War when American servicemen began arriving on R&R (rest and relaxation). One large group who arrived in 1959 rented houses at the south end of the beach, on what is now known as the “Strip”, are credited with recommending Pattaya, whose fame spread by word of mouth.
Pattaya has a massive population inflow from short-stay tourism, with its 2000 hotels and 136,000 rooms available as of 2015. A growing community of foreign retirees live in Pattaya. Thailand immigration has a special visa category for foreigners over age 50 who wish to retire in Thailand. Pattaya is attractive to many retirees from other countries not only because of its climate and lifestyle and living costs are lower than in many countries.
The main sweep of the bay area is divided into two principal beachfronts. Pattaya Beach runs about 2.7 km long from the entrance to Walking Street. The beach, which used to be 35 m wide, suffers from erosion and in some places was reduced to a width of only two to three meters and sand from Ko Rang Kwian offshore was added to increase the beach width to 50 m. Without intervention, Pattaya will likely see its beaches disappear in roughly ten years. The beach is the first in the country to use imported sand to compensate for coastal erosion.
Tourism. Plenty of new attractions will lure lots more foreign and domestic tourists in the future up to 46.7 million over the next few years, one and half times the current 29.8 million visitors. Pattaya projects include developing a tram in the city and building a bigger cruise terminal, and new tourist attractions: a water park, an ice dome, cultural markets, Thai boxing gyms, theatres, and conference halls. All are under development. The aim is to get rid of the previous [seedy] image of Pattaya Fourteen million visitors in 2018 contributed 239 billion baht to the city’s treasury – more than 70% of Pattaya’s total income.
Pattaya has derived part of its reputation as a tourist destination due to the sex industry and the resulting nightlife, and this notoriety has influenced the city’s evolution in many ways. Prostitution in Thailand is technically illegal but tolerated in most cities, including Pattaya. The city’s vast numbers of host bars, gogo bars, massage parlours, saunas, and hourly hotels, serve foreign tourists as well as locals. This is especially prominent on Walking Street. The Daily Mirror described Pattaya as “the world’s sex capital”, a “modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah”. But this figure is way too low. Pattaya also has Asia’s largest gay scene based around Boyztown, the Jomtien Complex, and Sunee Plaza. The city is also famous for its flamboyant cabaret shows where transsexual and transgender entertainers perform to packed houses. Pattaya has derived part of its reputation as a tourist destination due to the sex industry and the resulting nightlife, and this notoriety has influenced the city’s evolution in many ways. Prostitution in Thailand is technically illegal but tolerated in most cities, including Pattaya. The city’s vast numbers of host bars, gogo bars, massage parlours, saunas, and hourly hotels, serve foreign tourists as well as locals. This is especially prominent on Walking Street. But 27,000 is way too low. Pattaya also has Asia’s largest gay scene based around Boyztown, the Jomtien Complex, and Sunee Plaza. The city is also famous for its flamboyant cabaret shows where transsexual and transgender entertainers perform to packed houses.
In recent years, Pattaya has served as a hideaway for foreigners with connections to organized crime in their home countries, and dozens have been murdered in gang-related disputes.
Central Festival Pattaya Beach is another large shopping mall.
Walking Street. Boisterous nightlife with bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Many sex workers. Drivable during the day.
Wat Phra Yai (Big Buddha Temple). An 18-metre (59-feet) high golden Buddha statue overlooks Pattaya and Jomtien Beaches from its vantage point at the peak of Pratamnak Hill. A gentle staircase flanked with dragon-inspired railings leads to the elevated platform, where 7 smaller Buddha statues are also located
Jomien Beach. Another large sweep of sand south of Pattaya city. Many condos and resort hotels. More upscale than Pattaya.
Pattaya Floating Market. A highly commercialized set of small buildings with rough plank boardwalks and small bridges. Many tourists and tour buses.
I then drove about 350 km to near Ta Phraya National Park, the most eastern part of the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, a WHS.
ON A cute small motel with individual units. Many cement mushrooms, tables, stools and cartoon animals. 450B including breakfast. I slept at least 9 hours.
Day 8 Thur Mar 2
Breakfast (omelette, toast and coffee. I declined the large bowl of white rice) was at 7 and I spent most of it correcting major copying mistakes in creating this post.
This was a long drive day punctuated by a large section of road under construction. Otherwise, I drove at high speed averaging over 110 km/hr.
THAILAND – EAST (Ubon Ratchathani, Buriram)
Borders: Cambodia-Thailand, Laos-Thailand
Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex WHS spans 230 km between Ta Phraya National Park on the Cambodian border in the east, and Khao Yai National Park in the west. The site is home to more than 800 species of fauna, including 112 mammal species (among them two species of gibbon), 392 bird species and 200 reptile and amphibian species. It is internationally important for the conservation of globally threatened and endangered mammal, bird and reptile species, among them 19 that are vulnerable, four that are endangered, and one that is critically endangered. The area contains substantial and important tropical forest ecosystems, which can provide a viable habitat for the long-term survival of these species.
It comprises five almost contiguous Protected Areas; Khao Yai National Park, Thap Lan National Park, Pang Sida National Park, Ta Phraya National Park, and Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary. The complex also lies at the edge of the Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forest and the Indochina.
Internationally important for its biodiversity and the conservation of globally threatened and endangered mammal, bird and reptile species, it is home to one critically endangered (Siamese Crocodile), four endangered (Asian Elephant, Tiger, Leopard Cat, Banteng) and 19 vulnerable species. White-headed and Pileated Gibbons have overlapping ranges and interbreed.
The Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, with its high annual rainfall, acts as a critically important watershed for Thailand, draining into and feeding five of the country’s major rivers: Nakhon Nayok River, Prachin Buri River, Lamta Khong River, Muak Lek river, and Mun river. The waterfalls and creeks within the property, together with the variety of flora and fauna and dramatic forested landscapes, attract millions of visitors every year for recreation and education purposes.
Ta Phraya National Park. I went to Lalu, a fantastic cliff of rain-eroded sand. I then drove through a large section of the park – mostly secondary forest.
Lalu is a natural rock formation caused by erosion about 790 acres in size. Visit with a itaek (Thai-style tractor).
Rao Su Monument. Situated on the Lahan Sai-Ta Phraya route (Highway No. 348), it was built in 1979 to commemorate the brave undertakings of civilians, police officers, and soldiers who lost their lives during the battle with the communists who obstructed the construction of this strategic route. On a hill this has two lovely monuments: one of four soldiers and a woman and a large bas-relief of soldiers, politicians and common people.
Ensemble of Phanom Rung, Muang Tam and Plai Bat Sanctuaries. Tentative WHS:
Phanom Rung Historical Park. In the NM Vestiges of the Past series, this is a great site, very reminiscent of Angor Wat – a great stone wall with four gates and a large central temple with a Shiva lingam in the center. There is lots of carving on the temple.
Dedicated to Shiva in the ancient Khmer Empire, the temple sits on top of a hill. Like most Khmer temples, however, special pink sandstone was used to build the 75-foot (23-meter) high tower. The most famous and easily recognizable part of the temple is the lintel at the entrance depicting a reclined Vishnu. This lintel was stolen in the 1960s and turned up as an exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago. It took some lengthy diplomatic efforts to ensure the restitution of the piece, which took place in 1988.
Once a year, on April 13th, the sun hits the temple at a particular angle that allows sunlight to shine through the fifteen portals of the temple. A festival is also held annually on this date. 200 B with Prasat Muang Tam.
Prasat Muang Tam. In the NM Vestiges of the Past series, this is 8km from Phanom Rung and much lower in elevation. It is a large complex with a great stone wall, and a central platform with 4 small temples, none interesting. The highlight is the four L-shaped ponds on each corner – lovely. I met three people from Ottawa here.
Prasat Sikhoraphum. In the NM Vestiges of the Past series, this is a platform with four small corner towers around one mid-sized central tower. A U-shaped lake surrounds the back. The only thing of interest is the central temple with its carved door frame, bas-relief above the door, a fantastic carving of gods and the 8-headed small icon inside. 50B
King Rama I Monument. A fantastic monument in the center of a large traffic circle. Rama is riding an elephant. The entire base is surrounded by concentric circles of futuristic columns with cones on top.
Surin National Museum, Chaniang. A very good museum with the usual archaeology, housing, costumes, jewelry and much more. Elephant room. Free
UBON RARCHATHANI
I ate at a KFC for once. The menu was only in Thai and none of the staff spoke English.
Ubon Ratchathani National Museum. In a nice building with a courtyard, this has the usual archaeology, history, and ethnography of most regional museums. Outside is a display of stones, the David boundary stones are unique and can be very large. 100 B
Wat Phrathat Nong Bua. Another over-the-top Buddhist temple but this one is unique with its very large square tapering stupa. Inside are four Buddhas on each side of a similarly shaped large gold stupa. Outside are many ornate lamp posts and stupas on each corner.
I left Ubon Rarchathani at about 6 pm heading toward Udon Thani and arrived at 8:30.
Luang Pho Yai (Wat Burapha Phiram), Roi Et. At 67m, this is the tallest standing Buddha in SE Asia. Giving blessings pose.
ON Hop Inn Hotel, Roi Et. A 7-story chain hotel. Nice rooms for 600 B. I would definitely look for this chain again.
Day 9 Fri March 3
I had a late start spending a few hours sorting out my Bangladesh visa and going to Yemen (which I decided to not do). I had many free coffees and cigarettes.
Roi Et National Museum. A good museum for local history, archaeology, and ethnography. 100B
I then drove north into Thailand – Northeast.
THAILAND – NORTHEAST (Udon Thani, Khon Kaen)
There were many long drives and several mistakes made on the way. It was a pretty frustrating day of traffic, road construction, bad choices of places to go (it is very demanding to research everything) and going the wrong way.
On the way to Phra That Phanom, it went through lovely farm country – the rice paddies were young and bright green. There was also a lot of sugar cane and sugar cane trucks moving very slowly.
Phrathat Ya Khu. This is a single small monument with three levels of brick and a three-part chorten on top.
It is the largest chedi in the city of Fa Daet Song Yang (an ancient city in the Khmer period, now only the remains of clay bricks remain), which the villagers believed to be the relics containing the ashes of the elders that the townspeople respected. The rectangular base is from the Dvaravati period. Next up is the octagonal base, built in the Ayutthaya period. As for the bell body and the top part, it was built during the Rattanakosin period. 8 meters high from the base to the top. Around the Phra That, they found a parapet carved in reliefs about the Buddha’s history. In May of every year, Villagers will hold a Bun Bang Fai festival to pray for rain and bring peace to the village.
When Chiang Som won the war, it destroyed everything in Fa Daet City, but not this, it is an archaeological site that is still in perfect condition.
Phra That Phanom, its related historic buildings and associated landscape. Tentative WHS. According to legend, the temple contains Phra Uranghathat (the Buddha’s breast bone) enshrined, and as such, it is one of the most important Theravada Buddhist structures in the region. Each year, a festival is held at That Phanom to honour the temple. The week-long festival attracts thousands of people who make pilgrimages to honour the shrine.
The temple contains some paintings illustrating traditional Thai proverbs. It was originally built in the 16th century, but according to legend, the first temple structures were built here a few years after the death of the Buddha by the five kings of the Mon kingdom, The chedi was built in the 10th century at eight meters in height. At the end of the 17th century, it was restored and raised to about 47 meters. On 11 August 1975, the chedi collapsed, caused by heavy rain and strong storms for several days, but was rebuilt.
Khonkaen Zoo, Kham Muang. Don’t come here unless you have children that might be entertained. It is an adventure park with a water park and the zoo which is in a long circular drive only seen by a golf cart. The animals are rather mundane. The place was completely run over by busloads of kids. 150 B entrance, 50 B car and 300 B for the golf cart ride.
It was a very long drive here on narrow roads with one bit on a heavy rutted dirt trail. Wtih the drive, it was a grand waste of time.
Nong Han Kumphawapi Lake. The lake is shallow, mostly not exceeding a depth of one meter. The open water area of 1.7 km2 is surrounded by a wetland covering 4.1 km2, including paddy fields. In 2001 the lake was proposed as a wetland of international importance by the Thai government.
Discovered in 1966, it attracted interest due to its ancient red-painted pottery. More recently, it gained international attention in 2008 when the United States Department of Justice, following an undercover investigation begun in 2003, raided several museums for their role in trafficking in Ban Chiang antiquities.
Excavations revealed skeletons, bronze artifacts and a wealth of pots. Rice fragments were also found, leading to the belief that the Bronze Age settlers were probably farmers. The site’s oldest graves do not include bronze artifacts and are therefore from a Neolithic culture; the most recent graves date to the Iron Age.
The distinctive red-on-buff pottery that had excited so much interest proved to be quite late (300 B.C.– AD 200), with many levels of equally noteworthy pottery and other cultural remains beneath them. More exciting, the excavations uncovered crucibles and other evidence of metalworking, showing that the villagers of Ban Chiang from an early stage manufactured their metal artifacts rather than simply importing them from elsewhere. Recovered bronze objects include bracelets, rings, anklets, wires and rods, spearheads, axes and adzes, hooks, blades, and little bells. After the two seasons of excavation, six tons of pottery, stone, and metal artifacts were shipped to the University of Pennsylvania Museum for analysis.
The people lived a vigorous and active lifestyle with little evidence of interpersonal violence or any form of warfare. The subsistence was based on a mixed agricultural/hunting/gathering economy, co-occurring with metallurgy. The conclusion that the centuries-long occupation of the site was largely peaceful is bolstered by the lack of metal weapons.
The earliest metallurgy at Ban Chiang was c. 2000–1700 BCE. A date of 2100 BCE was obtained from rice phytoliths taken from inside a grave vessel of the lowest grave, which had no metal remains. The youngest grave was about 200 CE. Bronze-making began circa 2000 BCE, as evidenced by crucibles and bronze fragments. The initial settlement of Ban Chiang took place about 1500 BCE, with the transition to the Bronze Age about 1000 BCE.
The Ban Chiang National Museum. The museum includes an accurate open pit recreation of the excavation at a temple some 700 meters away called Wat Pho Si Mai, The museum includes “displays and information that highlight the three main periods and six sub-periods”. 100 B
UDON THANI
Thai-Chinese Cultural Center. This is a beautiful space with a good museum giving the history of the Chinese community in Udon Thani. There is a small canal full of multicoloured carp – kids feed them producing a frenzy of fish – it is fed by an artificial waterfall falling from some rugged rocks. The other highlights are all the deep base relief carvings on the walls. Unfortunately, they are only in Mandarin and Thai. Across the street is a lovely garden. Free
Udon Thani Museum. Another good regional museum with history, archaeology and ethnography. 100 B
Wat Pa Phu Kon. I would have liked to go to this Tentative WHS but it was 77 km in the wrong direction.
Phu Phra Bat Historical Park. The park’s distinguishing feature is its unusual rock formations around which religious shrines have been constructed. Some formations also feature prehistoric rock paintings.
The unusual rock formations in the park include spires, massive boulders and balanced rocks and form the backdrop for the prehistoric art and religious shrines created there. The geological origins of these rocks are thought to be from under-sea erosion that occurred fifteen million years ago.
Prehistoric art paintings in natural shelters have oxen and human figures. The park’s rock paintings are believed to date from 6,000 years ago.
Hor Nang Usa is one of a number of the rock formations where a shrine has been constructed. Early shrines date to the Dvaravati period in the seventh to tenth centuries. Shrines feature Hindu and Buddhist influences. The park’s most significant shrine is Wat Phra Putthabaht Bua Bok, where a Lao-style chedi covers a chamber housing a sandstone Buddha footprint. The shrine is a pilgrimage site with an annual festival held in March.
ON Hotel in Khuean Ubolratana. Near the religious monument Wat Phra Bat Phu Pan Kham, these are cute solid wood individual units raised on stilts. Rather old. 600 B
Day 10 Sat Mar 4
Wat Phra Bat Phu Pan Kham, Khuean Ubolratana. In the NM Religious Monuments series, the temple has a white gigantic Buddha image called Luangpho Yai or Luangpho Khao, of 14 metres in height. The Lord Buddha’s footprint can be found in a nearby area. The flight of 1,049 stairs leads the way up to the temple’s front. The temple overlooks beautiful views.
KHON KAEN
Hong Mun Mang Mueang. The aim of linking every community in Khon Kaen together with historical information of Khon Kaen from past to present with the history and culture, the founding of the city, towns and lifestyles of Khon Kaen people, Khon Kaen today. 100B
Khon Kaen National Museum. In a beautiful space, there are antiques and artifacts in the northern part of Isaan – pre-historical period, the Davaravati Culture in Sri Thep town. The highlights are all the boundary stones, Khmer cultural Heritage with its Laterite and sandstone temples, Lan Chang Cultural Heritage, the history of Khonkaen town, and local Isaan art and ethnography. 100 B
Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon (Wat Nong Wang). Doors and windows of the 9-storey Stupa beautifully craved the former reincarnations of the Lord Buddha, 16 classes of visible deities in the Brahmas world, and Buddhist rites. On the top floor, where the Lord Buddha’s relics are located, are beautiful panoramic views of the city. I didn’t walk to the top of the 9 stories. Throughout the time I was there a monk chanted loudly magnified over loudspeakers. A head monk with two young monks entered, smiled at the subjects, was given a large chair and had photos taken of him. He seemed to be a very important guy.
Nam Nao National Park.
Pho Khun Pha Muang Memorial. Isolated standing dark bronze statue. The myth is that it protects travelers so honk when you pass.
Wat Phra Thart Pha Sorn Kaew. Mountain top Buddhist monastery and temple covered in colourful mosaic tiles. Nice gardens.
Weapons Museum. Relics from, Thailand’s anti-communist days, downed aircraft and retired machine guns. Not worth the drive and time. 50 B
The Ancient Town of Si Thep. Tentative WHS. Is an archaeological site about the ancient city of Si Thep, a site inhabited from around the third to fifth century CE until the thirteenth and spanning cultural periods from late prehistory to Dvaravati and the Angkorian Khmer Empire. Si Thep was one of the largest known city-states that emerged around the plains of central Thailand in the first millennium but became abandoned around the time the Thai-speaking cities of Sukhothai and later Ayutthaya emerged as new centres of power in the Chao Phraya River basin.
4th – 5th century CE), the early settlement of Si Thep with a burial tradition with offerings related to India. The second phase of occupation (c. 6th – 8th century CE) was characterized with the expansion to the outer city with interactions of India, Funan, Chenla, and Dvaravati cultures. Si Thep was an urban Dvaravati culture center since the 6th century CE, and one of the earliest communities in Thailand that made contact with India, 8th – 10th century CE was the most prosperous with an irrigation system. 11th – 13th century CE), Shaivism was a great influence in Si Thep at Angkorian times. Si Thep lost importance and was abandoned around the 14th century.
It is a park-like setting with grass, trees and small water sprinklers watering the grass. After paying walk down the gravel road a short distance (or take a golf cart for 300 B which is completely unnecessary. The three monuments are together in one small area with many low laterite walls.
THAILAND – CENTRAL (Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya)
I have been to this province before when I visited Ayutthaya.
Bueng Boraphet Lake At 224 square km, it is the largest freshwater swamp and lake in central Thailand east of Nakhon Sawan. Originally it was a large swamp, which was flooded in 1930 with the building of a dam to improve fishing.
One hundred and six square kilometres of the lake were declared a non-hunting area in 1975. In 2000 it was designated a wetland of international importance by the Thai government.
Nakhon Sawan. A city I drove through.
Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries WHS.
Stretching over more than 600,000 ha along the Myanmar border (in Uthai Thani, Tak, and Kanchanaburi provinces), the sanctuaries, which are relatively intact, contain examples of almost all the forest types of continental Southeast Asia. They are home to a very diverse array of animals, including 77% of the large mammals (especially elephants and tigers), 50% of the large birds and 33% of the land vertebrates to be found in this region.
There are two important river systems, the Upper Khwae Yai and the Huai Khakhaeng. It is one of Thailand’s least accessible and least disturbed forest areas. Steep sided valleys and impressive mountain peaks interspersed with small lowland plains, tributary streams and waterfalls.
Ridges run parallel from north to south. The tallest peak, Thung Yai, reaches 1,830 meters above sea level. The savanna forest of Thung Yai is the most complete and secure example of Southeast Asia’s dry tropical forest.
Kaen Makrut Botanical Garden, Uthai Thani. This was a long drive here, at least 20 km from the main highway on a very twisty road in the mountains – two switchbacks were so steep the Toyota Yaris could hardly make it. It certainly was not worth the drive. It is a very small garden with very tired flower beds surrounding a small artificial pond with an island in the middle and a viewing tower. Several concrete fruits and table/chair combos are part of the decor. A large garden wall at the back has the name of the garden in Thai. It is in the National Park. Free
Wat Tham Khao Wong, Uthai Thani. A very pretty 4-story Buddhist temple was built next to a cliff. The Second level has two smaller Buddha statues. It has multiple roof lines, and is made of brown wood, the upper levels have nice shutters, and the railings and the columns in the second level are faux wood made of cement. A nice pond sits in front.
The monks’ shelter is on the third floor and on the fourth floor, there is an ordination hall made of teak and Makha wood including old wood from Thai houses in Ayutthaya and Ang Thong. (I didn’t climb up to the fourth floor).
The construction cost about 30 million baht. At the back of the mountain, there are 7-8 caves. Some caves are places for monks to do meditation, and others have bats, stalagmites and stalactites.
Prasat Mueang Sing Historical Park, Sing. Surrounded by an incredible laterite wall of 880X1400 m. Has two structures #1 a Khmer laterite temple with 4 arched gates, one virtually intact, and 2 statues) and #2 a laterite platform all in a park-like setting. 100B + 50 B parking.
Bao Kao National Museum. Another superbly designed museum, this is only about archaeology. Two things I have not seen before are log coffins and tripod pots. 100B
Wat Tham Suea (Tiger Cave Temple), Kanchanaburi. Sitting on top of a small hill, the fantastic roof lines can be seen from a long way off. There are several OTT temples and an 18m tall huge sitting Naga Buddha. Packed with tourists. I parked on top with lots of parking rather than down below where all the tour buses are.
Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex. WHS. It covers the areas of Kaeng Krachan, Kui Buri and Chaloem Phrakiat Thai Prachan national parks, and Mae Nam Phachi Wildlife Sanctuary, in the Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces on the country’s border with Myanmar. The site was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 2021.
Tenasserim mountain range, is part of a north-south granite and limestone mountain ridge running down the Malay Peninsula. It is dominated by semi-evergreen/dry evergreen and moist evergreen forests with some mixed deciduous forest, montane forest, and deciduous dipterocarp forest. Rich birdlife, including eight globally threatened species. Critically endangered Siamese Crocodile, the endangered Asiatic Wild Dog, Banteng, Asian Elephant, Yellow/Elongated Tortoise, and the endangered Asian Giant Tortoise. Eight cat species: the endangered tiger, and Fishing Cat, Leopard and Asian Golden Cat, the vulnerable Clouded Leopard and Marbled Cat, Jungle Cat and Leopard Cat.
Wat Huay Mongkol, Thap Thai. Luang Por Thuat, a large Buddha image with a lap width of 9.9 meters, 11.5 meters high, and a 3-storey base. The first floor is 70 meters wide, 70 meters long,
Bueng Bua Wood Boardwalk (Thung Sam Roi Yot), Prachuap Khiri Khan. Wetland covered with waterlilies and long reeds against a steep mountain range. A series of wooden boardwalks and gazebos sit over the marsh.
Rajabhakti Park statues, Hua Hin is a historically themed park honouring past Thai kings from the Sukhothai period to the current royal house of Chakri. It was built by the Royal Thai Army, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, accompanied by his daughter, Princess Bajrakitiyabha, who presided over the park’s opening ceremonies on 26 September 2015. Statues of seven notable Thai kings – King Ram Khamhaeng (reigned 1279-1298) of the Sukhothai period, King Naresuan (1590-1605) and King Narai (1656-1688) of the Ayutthaya period, King Taksin (1767-1782) of the Thonburi period, and King Rama I (1782-1809), King Mongkut (1851-1868), and King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910) of the Rattanakosin period. Each statue is made of bronze, with an average height of 13.9 meters. The base of the statues is 134 m long, 43 m wide, and 8 m high. The park’s large plaza of 91 rai (145,600 m2), is to be used by the Royal Thai Armed Forces for parades, and ceremonies welcoming foreign dignitaries.
Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas, Hua Hin. A 100-year-old classic 3-story hotel with old world charm, low-key and luxurious British style, a long beachfront and expansive landscaped gardens. The staff are dressed in traditional Thai clothes.
Hua Hang Station. A big train station.
Venezia, Hua Hin. A theme park with canals, gondola rides and other uninteresting attractions. 100B to see and up to 399B to do everything.
Mrigadayavan Palace, Cha-am. A 1920s beachfront summer palace of King Rama VI. Buildings on stilts connected by verandas. Can’t be visited.
Phra Ram Ratchaniwet (Wang Ban Puen), Khlong Kra Saeng. Royal palace was operated by the army with gardens. Can’t be visited except for the gardens.
Wat Mahathat Worawihan. A spectacularly tall Buddhist temple, a white tower covered with stucco statues. Enter the temple with many bronze buddhas but not the stupa.
Phra Nakhon Khiri (Khao Wang). Historic palace complex with three building groups on the three peaks of the 95 m hill. On the western peak is the palace with adjoining structures. On the middle or central peak is a big chedi. The eastern peak houses the royal temple, The whole complex was built as a summer palace by King Mongkut, with construction finished in 1860. Many monkeys. Access by cable car and walk down. 200B
Maeklong Railway Market (Ram Hup Market). A large market, mostly produce with many busy food stalls surrounding. Congested area.
Wat Bang Kung. Has a statue of a soldier and maybe 100 Muy Thai fighters in various poses. Temple closed. In the NM Bizzarium series.
Damnoen Sadouak Floating Market. In a narrow canal surrounded by large metal building with many shops. Mostly souvenirs. Can take a boat for an hour to see all the market.
Phuttha Utthayan Makha Bucha Anusorn (Buddhism Memorial Park), Nakhon Nayok. About 1000 Buddha statues including the large walking Buddha.
ON. I was lucky to find a cheap hotel. Share bathroom, no sink but had a shower. 500B.
Day 11 Mon Mar 3. My last day in Thailand. I extended the car rental so decided to have another big drive about to see things west and north of Bangkok. Away very early, I drove like a madman. Returned the car – drove 3200 km in 6 days.
Wat Bang Phra. An over-the-top temple with a large black Buddha sitting on a complex plinth. The temple is also known for the daily tattoos given by the monks. The power of any amulet or tattoo decreases with time, so, to re-empower tattoos each year. Arrive around 8:00 AM, purchase flowers and incense that are then recycled back into the place where purchased and the money used for upkeep for the Wat. The tattoos are done in groups of about 20 people choosing from a large banner of tattoos available. Unless there is a specific choice requested, the monk will begin with a simple tattoo at the top of the back. The monk uses a single long thin needle about 18 inches in length and the tip of the spike is split into two so that each stab of the spike produces two dots of ink done on a template to transfer the design. The typical tattoo takes about 3,000 strikes to complete. The sanitation of the needle and ink are unknown. Receiving a tattoo at the Wat Bang Phra temple potentially exposes a person to HIV, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C.
Red Lotus Floating Market. A lovely rectangular lake covered with red lotus flowers. Rent a boat for 100 B for an hour to see the lake. A drone photo shoot is 40 baht, rent colourful umbrellas for 20 baht and even full Thai costumes for photos. The only market seemed to be the one on land at the boat launch.
Wat Chedi Hoi, Pathum Thani. Original built by a monk resident but the pagoda was built in 1983 using the gigantic oysters aged over thousands of years. It consists of two pagodas. Inside the temple area, there is a large swamp with fish and turtles pond next to it.
Luang Pho U Thong (Phra Phuttha Pusaya Khiri Sri Suvarnabhumi). Luang Pho U Thong, a seated Buddha statue carved on the cliff face of Khao Tham Thiam hill. The sculpture is 84m tall. It was initiated in 2014 to transform a 100 rai quarry, that was full of trash after the site was abandoned, into a pilgrimage site. The aim was to highlight U Thong as the first place the influence of Buddhism reached the Kingdom more than 2,500 years ago.
Dragon Descendants Museum. The roof of this museum is an extravagant huge snake. Thailand is home to the largest Chinese community in the world who grew to dominate much of Thai commerce and politics with 10 prime ministers being Chinese descendants. The museum was built in 1996 to celebrate the 20 years of Thai-Chinese diplomatic relations. Shaped like a massive brightly coloured Fiberglass Chinese dragon. the museum has a fully interactive display of the history of China, from the creation myth to modern history. 99B
Great Buddha of Thailand, Ang Thong. A 92m tall sitting Buddha, the tallest statue in Thailand, the second tallest statue in Southeast Asia, and the ninth-tallest in the world. 63 m wide. Construction 1990 – 2008. It is painted gold and made of concrete. The Buddha is in the seated posture called Maravijaya Attitude. The Ubosot (ordination hall) is surrounded by the largest lotus petals in the world, a museum with the first and largest silver holy Buddha image of the country, a compound that has depictions of heaven and hell, a Thai deity paradise, a Chinese deity paradise, and a huge statue of KuanIm, a Chinese female goddess. Located in the Wat Muang temple.
Wat Khun Inthapramun, Pho Thong. A giant white reclining Buddha. Body and legs are covered in a gold-coloured cloth. Built in the 1830s, the long statue stretches for more than 45 metres. The statue’s feet are particularly attractive; the soles are split into different sections that show various symbols of Buddhism, and they are decorated with mother of pearl. Surrounded by ruins – low brick walls and columns and a brick temple across the street.
Wat Pikul Thong Phra Aram Luang, Phikul Thong. A giant gold sitting Buddha and a small temple across the road. All the lamp posts entering and leaving the town are topped with a gold elephant and a glass globe hanging from his trunk.
Wat Phra Non Chaksri Worawihan, Singburi. In a temple that predates the Ayutthaya Kingdom, it has a large reclining Buddha almost 50 metres long, a gilded stone image, and a seated image in the diamond throne posture. The two sacred images have beautiful features. They were built during the reign of King Rama V.
LOPHURI
King Narai’s Palace was built by King Narai the Great, the king who ruled Ayutthaya from 1656 to 1688. King Narai stayed here for about 8–9 months a year, except during the rainy season. He designated Lopburi as the second capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. The palace was a place for relaxation, hunting, administering the country’s affairs, and welcoming official visitors. When the king died in 1688, Lopburi and the palace were abandoned. It had piped water.
King Mongkut (Rama IV) of Rattanakosin ordered the restoration of King Narai’s Palace. He built a new throne hall complex. In 1924, Prince Damrong Rajanubhab and Prince Narisara Nuwattiwong opened the Chantarapisarn Pavilion in King Narai’s palace as a museum. It exhibits more than 1,864 items from the collection of ancient artifacts in different pavilions and buildings of the palace.
Prang Sam Yod, In the NM Vestiges of the past series, this is a 13th-century temple and a popular tourist destination. The temple was built by King Jayavarman VII of the Khmer Empire in the early 13th century. Jayavarman intended for the temple to be an important location in the royal cult surrounding himself, and showcased the prestige of the Khmer Empire in Lopburi. Of Khmer architecture, the temple is made from brick with a basically absent stucco exterior with three towers, each with a corresponding deity. Originally dedicated to Mahayana Buddhism, it was later rededicated to Theravada Buddhism.
An image of Phra Prang Sam Yod is featured on a Thai baht note. While it remains the site of active prayer, several sources have noted the temple is more popular as a tourist destination due to its resident population of monkeys.The temple itself however is in relatively poor condition.
Monkeys. The temple is famous for its large population of crab-eating macaque monkeys, which live in and around the temple grounds. The monkey population has always been present in Lopburi, but the start of the locally-held Monkey Buffet Festival in 1989 led to a dramatic increase in their population. The festival serves a dual purpose, drawing in tourists while also honouring the traditional Lopburi belief that monkeys are disciples of Jao Paw Phra Kan, a spirit which protects the city.
There are 2 other archaeological sites in the city – one is a huge pile of laterite blocks. Another is a large complex of several ruined brick temples.
King Narai the Great Monument. Sitting in the middle of a large roundabout is a bronze statue of him standing on a tall stone base.
PHRA NAKHON SI AYUTTHAYA
This was my second visit to Ayutthaya when I saw the WHS. The traffic was horrendous in Ayutthaya. I was in one jam after the Japanese Village on my way out of town which lasted about 10 minutes.
Chantharakasem National Museum. Chantharakasem Palace was built in 1577 and became a residence of many other kings until the fall of Ayutthaya when Chantharakasem was abandoned. King Rama IV restored it with additional throne halls and pavilions. The governor of Krung Kao District collected antiquities and in 1902 turned them into a museum in three buildings displaying the possessions of King Rama IV, sculptures and artifacts and Ayutthaya Art and Architecture. Exhibits are poor and run down. 200 B
Chao Sam Phraya National Museum. Archaeology from Ayutthaya was discovered in 1957-8 with many Buddhas, ceramics, and jewelry and the highlighted several gold artifacts including a golden sword 115 cm long and contained in a golden scabbard. There is a traditional Thai house in the middle of a pond. 100 B
Japanese Village Museum. Has a small museum that the story of Chinese in Thailand. They first arrived in 1589 but had to remain outside the city walls at the port. At the peak, about 1000-1500 Japanese were living there. When Japan closed their borders in 1632 (primarily to keep out Christianity), they stayed in Thailand. The rest of the village is not very inspiring, with simple gardens and walks. 50 B
I had a very productive time in Thailand, driving 3200 km (most at a maximum speed and driving very aggressively seeing all five of the NM regions I had missed on my previous trips plus 5 new WHS.
I returned the car to Europcar and caught the metro to Bang Sue Metro station transferring to the red line, a train to Don Muang Airport 33B. It was a long walk from the train station to the airport over a freeway and through a parkade.
Flight Bangkok to Dhaka Bangladesh: Air Asia @23:00 – midnight (gained one hour). CA$ 132.
